A citizen of a foreign country, wishing to enter the U.S., generally must first obtain a visa, either a non-immigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence. The type of visa you must have is defined by immigration law and relates to the purpose of your travel. Visas are issued by American embassies and consulates.
What is a U.S. Visa?
A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport, a travel document issued by the traveler’s country of citizenship.
Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa if they meet the requirements for visa-free travel. The type of visa you must have is defined by immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. Visas are issued by American embassies and consulates.
How Can I Use a Visa to Enter the United States?
Having a U.S. visa allows you to travel to a port of entry, airport or land border crossing, and request permission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector to enter the United States. While having a visa does not guarantee entry to the United States, it does indicate a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad has determined you are eligible to seek entry for that specific purpose.
DHS/CBP inspectors, guardians of the nation’s borders, are responsible for admission of travelers to the United States, for a specified status and period. DHS also has responsibility for immigration matters while you are present in the United States.
What Types of Visas Are There?
The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law and relates to the purpose of your travel. There are two main categories of U.S. visas:
- Non-immigrant Visas for travel to the United States on a temporary basis.
- Immigrant Visas for travel to live permanently in the United States.
Charlotte Visa Free Travel Attorney
U.S. policy permits citizens of certain countries as identified below to travel to the United States without a visa. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) permits nationals from designated countries to apply for admission to the United States for 90 days or less as nonimmigrant visitors for business or pleasure without first obtaining a U.S. nonimmigrant visa.
At the time of application for admission, a VWP applicant must:
- Be in possession of a round-trip ticket that will transport the individual out of the United States to any other foreign port or place as long as the trip does not terminate in contiguous territory or an ; except that the round trip ticket may transport the traveler to contiguous territory or an , if the traveler is a resident of the country of destination or if arriving at a land border, provide evidence of financial solvency and a domicile abroad to which the traveler intends to return;
- Be arriving on designated carrier that is signatory to a Visa Waiver Program Agreement, if applicable;
- Have a machine-readable passport valid for 6 months beyond the period of intended stay, or essentially 9 months (90 days + 6 months). The Department of State's 6-month list extending the validity of certain foreign passports can be found on the Department of State website. (A traveler with an expired passport is ineligible for VWP admission); and,
- Complete an Arrival/Departure Form I-94W. Travelers arriving at a land border will be required to pay the required Form I-94W processing fee.
In addition, VWP visitors may not file an application to change status to an immigrant or another nonimmigrant classification or extend their stay beyond the 90-day timeframe. VWP applicants waive their right to proceedings before an Immigration Judge, unless they make an asylum application.
Regardless of your individual circumstances, working with an experienced Charlotte Immigrant Visa Law Attorney is an important choice you can make to help improve your immigration status.
"Call 704-486-5303 now to speak with a Charlotte US Visa attorney who can assist you in obtaining a Visa."